, 1887-09-30
THE KEY OF THE CASKET.

terials and to consult authorities before
beginning his projected tragedy of Cesar
BorEia, his friends and relatives in
New York were far from anticipating the
actual results of his researches. These
had brought about his acquaintance with
n certain DIR. Alexander Marini, an agcd
physician of Milan, who claimed descent
from one of the collateral branches of the
Borgia family. This old Doctors grand
daughter, LuCrezia Narini, was wonder
fully beautiful, an Italian blonde, glowing
with the freshness of extreme youth,
being then hardly II, and with all the
luster of a loneliness which. as her grand
father declared, revived and reproduced
the charms of her Of the same name who
was the famous bride of Duke Alfonso
Of Ferrara. The tragedy remained I'M
written, and Chester Seabrook took to
wife this dazzling creature. If, wedding
in haste, he-atterwards repented at leisure,
the outside world was destined never to
know. His married life lasted a little
over one year. His brilliant Italian wife
died in giving birth to a son, and the
young widower returned to his native
land with his little child, possibly a wiser
man, but certainly a sadder one. 1t was
an ominous fact that he never referred to
his wife in any way, nor to the expert
cnces of his few months of matrimony.
A miniature, painted on ivory and repro
ducing the glowing yet delicate beauty Of
the fair Lucrezia, was all that remained
to him of that episode in his life; that, and
the boy, Ii had received the name of
Louis, and who bore well his transfer to
the United States, growing and thriving
as though he had beer born under the
shadow of the Stars and Stripes.
When Louis was a little over IL years
Of age his father died suddcnly Of typhoid
pneumonia. Mr.. Seabrook had never
married again, a circumstance usually
attributed by the world at largo to his
devotion TO the memory of his wife. In
this they wore probably mistaken. The
man who has been extremely happy in
his married life, and who is left q
widOwer, is usually very anxious to
marry again as soon as possible. He misses
the domestic peace, the joys of tranquil
home affection, and his desire to remarry
Is almost invariably in proportion to the
felicity bestowed upon him by his wife.
The widower of a shrew, a fool. or a dis
agreeable and u~ncongenial woman, is. on
the other hand, very apt to remain
single. Having once escaped from tho
dungeon and torture chamber, he is very
careful to keep out of them forevermore:
and for one reason or another Chester
Seabrook never again made any attempts
to enter the holy estate of matrimony.
He had n only sister, Mrs. Richard
Marsden, and to her and to her husband
he bequeathed the guardianship Of his
son and of that sons large fortune. 1t
was a healthy natured and happy family
in which tho boy grew TO manhood. Mrs.
Marsden's three son were all older than
Louis, and did not, it is true, take very
kindly TO their cousin. But her only
daughter, little Grace, was some years
his junior, and, as is often the case in
| such instances with intelligent, preco-
ciUus little girls, she developed q great
fancy for her moody boy cousin, and re-
gularly took him under her protection.
It is the early development of the mother
instinct, the sweetest and tenderest ele-
ment in feminine nature, that thus finds
scope and occupation; and Grace petted
Louis, and watched over him, and some
times scolded him in a protecting, patron
izing way that, coming from so small a
girl, would have been comical if it had
not been very charming.
For the poor boy needed oil the nffec-
ton that could possibly be bestowed upon
him. He WINS never strong, and his dis
position was gloomy and morbid to q de-
gree that was extraordinary in one that
was to so great a degree n ~favorite Of for
tun He was shy and silent to a pain
full extent, and despite his Italian origin,
he developed no taste for either art or
music. He decided early in life to be-
come n physician, but after studying
medicine for some few years in a desul-
tory, languld way, devoting the chief
part Of his time to investigations concern
ing the nature and properties of poisons,
he suddenly announced that, on attain
ing his majority, he had made up his
mind to relinquish all idea of studying a
profession. And he likewise astonished
Mr.. and Mrs. Marsden by making formal
proposals for the hand of Grace.
These proposals were negatived at
once, and decidedly, by Mr.. Marsden.
You are both of you too young to
think of such a thing as marriage, or
even of an engagement, Louis, " his uncle
made answer. you are only Just 81
and Grace is but a few weeks over 10.
Moreover, l have decided objections to
the marriage of first cousins"
you do not know to what you doom
me, uncle" vas the gloomy response of
the young man. ''Grace is all that l have
~ hNe IoI upon eaIln, anu IL 1 lose
her
'Now, do not talk nonsense, Louis"
responded Richard Marsden, briskly, but
not unkindly. Grace is too much of a
child TO be allowed to listen to your prof
fers of affection. She cares no more for
you than she o for Ned, or Harry, or
Frank. You are like n brother to her
nothing more-and I do not mean to
have her mind disturbed by anything like
love making. Besides, you nave seen
nothing of the world, as you should do
before choosing n wife and settling down
to matrimony and quietude. Go abroad
spend the next two years in European
travel, and them
land then you will give Grace TO me?"
eagerly asked the youth, his pale face
flushing and his dark eyes glowing as he
spoke.
Il make no promise; l will enter into
no compact with you on that subject.
You and Grace must 10th be entirely